Concrete plane



Nov. 10, 1964 E- M. HARDING, JR

CONCRETE PLANE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 6, 1962 FlG.l

7 INVENTOR. [DIYIED MAMA/1Y6, z

I ATTORNEYS MfQmLw 1964 E. M. HARDING, JR 3,156,231

CONCRETE PLANE Filed Feb. 6, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

FIG.5 54

A TTORNE Y-Y Nov. 10, 1964 E. M. HARDING, JR

CONCRETE PLANE 3v Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 6, 1962 INVEN TOR. [lumen #woava, k.

A TTORNEYS United States Patent 3,156,231 CONCRETE PLANE Edward M. Harding, Jr., Rockville, Md., assignor to Equipment Development 60., Inc., Silver Spring, MIL, a corporation of Maryland Filed Feb. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 171,435 8 Claims. ((31. 125-5) This invention relates to abrading machines, and more particularly and specifically to a novel, all-purpose plane for use on concrete and asphalt surfaces.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a manually operated, mobile plane adapted for a variety of uses incident to the placing, resurfacing and maintaining of concrete and asphalt surfaces. For example, but not by way of intended limitation, the subject invention has equal utility in removal of paints, tars, sealer compounds and the like from the asphalt and concrete surfaces, as well as the removal of substantial material thicknesses from such surfaces incident to the patching or leveling of surfaces prior to finishing them.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a manual or pedestrian operated mobile unit for the planing or abrading of concrete or asphalt surfaces which is well balanced and self-leveling in respect to the surface upon which it is working and which is readily and easily manipulated by a single pedestrian operator.

A further object of the present invention lies in the provision of a novel plane which incorporates a quickly replaceable cutter assembly and the ability to mount cutter assemblies of varying coarseness for different cutting requirements.

Another object of this invention rests in the provision of a mobile concrete and asphalt plane of the type described which provides for the combination therewith of a unique cutter assembly with means for the quick and easy removal and replacement of the assembly, and a plane in which maximum benefit is obtained from the work potential of the cutters derived by the floating action thereof and the centrifugal forces established therein.

A still further object of this invention lies in the. provision of a mobile plane of the type described wherein quick adjustable means are incorporated to permit rough and fine adjustment settings of the cutter assemblies relative to the surfaces upon which the work is being done.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a mobile plane for work treatment of concrete and asphalt surfaces which is of a relatively simple and inexpensive design and manufacture, yet which is rugged and durable in use, easily operated by a single pedestrian operator, and highly eli'icient and effective.

Further objects of the present invention will become more readily apparent to one skilled in the art when the following general statement and description are consid ered in the light of the accompanying drawings.

The instant invention may be described in general terms as relating to a mobile plane for concrete and asphalt surfaces which consists of a carriage supported on three triangularly spaced wheels, :1 power unit and belt drive assembly supported on said carriage, a horizontal driven shaft rotatably supported by said carriage and coupled to said drive assembly, a cage fixed on a projected end of said horizontal shaft in concentric arrangement with the axis thereof, a plurality of cutter bar units removably coupled in said cage, each extending longitudinally there.-

of about the circumference thereof, control handle means Referring now to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a side pictorial view of the mobile plane constituting a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial vertical section of the plane of FIG. 1 with the power unit removed;

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 3-3, FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the plane illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with the carriage and cutter in an elevated position;

FIG. 6 is a partial front elevation of the handle controls for the mobile unit;

FIG. 7 is a vertical section on line 7-7, FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the driven shaft and cutter assembly cage;

FIG. 9 is a vertical section transversely of the cage with the cutter bars in place;

FIG. 10 is a vertical section on line 1010, FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a vertical section on line 1111, FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a modified form of the cutter cage.

The mobile plane constituting the present invention, as illustrated by way of preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, consists of a carriage or housing 10, a pair of laterally spaced rear wheels 12, a single forward wheel 14, a power unit 16 mounted on the carriage, a cutter unit 13, a drive casing 20, and a handlebar unit 22 including a cutter adjusting mechanism 24, all such components being so generally designated.

Carriage and Wheel Support The carriage 10 consists, more particularly, of an inverted, generally rectangular box housing having a substantially horizontal top wall 30, depending vertical side walls 32, depending rear wall 34, and a depending, partial front wall 36. An elongated tube 38 extends transversely of the lower rear end of the housing and is secured in and projects through each of the side walls 32 for a predetermined distance therebeyond. An axle 49 extends through the tube 38 and supports a wheel 12 on each extended end thereof adjacent each end of the tube.

An elongated bar 42 extends longitudinally, horizontally of the rearward portion of the housing projecting rearwardly therefrom through a vertical slot 44 in the rear wall 34, and having its forward end fixed to a shaft 46 rotatably supported transversely between and by the side walls 32 intermediate the front to rear extensions there of. A pair of horizontally stepped bars 43 are positioned with their rearward ends fixed on the rotary shaft 46 on opposite sides of the attachment of bar 42 thereof and with their forwardly, downwardly, stepped front ends projecting through and beyond the front wall 36 of the housing Where they support the remote ends of an axle 50 on which is mounted the single forward wheel 14.

The forward portion of the top wall of the housing is provided with an open top storage box 52. A storage box enclosing top plate 54 is supported by a pair of de-.

pending side plates 56 which lie outside the side walls 32 of the housing and which are hinged on pins 58 to the lower forward ends of the side walls. This arrangement permits the top wall or cover to pivot from a box closing position, FIGS. 1 and 2, to a box opening position, FIG. 5.

Cutter and Drive Assembly Forwardly from and below shaft 46 a drive shaft 60 extends transversely of the housing and projects outwardly through and beyond the side walls thereof. On one side wall shaft 60 is mounted in a bearing 62 which is supported on the outside surface of the side wall 32, and shaft 60 is also supported in two additional bearings 64 which are mounted, one each, the inner and outer surfaces of the opposite side wall 32.

Externally of the side wall supported bearing 62, shaft 60 supports a double drive belt sheave 66 about which are trained a pair of parallel belts 68 which extend angularly upwardly and rearwardly of the housing where the upper ends are trained about a double sheave 69 supported on the drive or output shaft 7 of the power unit 16 supported on the upper surface of the carriage. The belts 68 and driving and driven sheaves are all enclosed within a housing 72 which is supported by the side wall 32 of the carriage housing of the mobile unit.

The second end of shaft 60 which is supported in the bearings 64 projects beyond that side wall of the housing supporting the bearing 64 within a cover unit generally designated at 74 which includes a top wall 76, front wall 78 and rear wall 86. Within the general bounds of the cover unit the extended end of shaft 60 supports a cutter cage generally designated at 82 which is more specifically disclosed in FIGS. 8 through 10.

Cutter Cage and Cutter Bar Assembly The cutter cage 82 consists of a pair of circular plates 84 which are axially mounted on and fixed to the driven shaft 60 in spaced relationship thereon one to the other. Each plate is provided on that face disposed toward the other plate with a plurality of socket elements generally designated at 36 for the reception of the extreme ends of cutter bars generally designated 88. As best seen in FIG. 9, each socket element consists of a generally rectangular bracket 90 positioned adjacent the face of the circular plate 84 which the apex portion thereof disposed toward the axial center of the plate and driven shaft 60. Each such bracket 90 is secured to the circular plate 84 by means of three triangularly arranged bolt elements 92 which project through the triangular bracket 90 and the circular cage plate 84. One bolt in each bracket 90 supports a neoprene or other resilient cushioning washer 94 which is interposed between the bracket and plate, and each of the other two bolts 92 supports a rigid spacer 95 between the bracket and plate.

Each socket bracket 90 is provided with a straight channel or passage 96 opening thereinto from a point adjacent the general apex area of the triangular bracket and extending in the direction of that side of the triangulated bracket adjacent the circumference of the cage plate 84. The side Walls of the channel are straight and are adapted to slidably receive the tang end 98 of a circular cutter bar 100. As is best seen in FIG. 9, the resilient washer 94 surrounding that bolt 92 nearest to the channel 96 has a peripheral portion thereof extending into and obstructing the channel at a point intermediate the depth of the channel whereby it is necessary to force the tang end 98 of the cutter bar past the re silient washer whereupon it becomes removably locked in the inner end area of the passage or channel.

Each cutter bar, as best seen in FIGS. and 11, is provided with a series of circular star cutter wheels 102 which are positioned on the circular cutter bar in packed side by side relationship longitudinally thereof between the tang end portions thereof and which are held in place by means of crimped washers or the like (not shown) beyond the extreme ends of the pack.

In FIG. 12 of the drawings there is shown a modified form of the cutter assembly wherein a cutter cage of greater width than that previously described is provided by utilization of two end plates 104 identical to plates 84 in the preferred embodiment and wherein additional propeller-shaped elements 106, each having three projecting blade plates thereon, are interposed between the end plates in such combination or arrangement as will permit a series of elongated cutter bars to be mounted between the extreme end plates 164 in overlapping relationship. As best seen in this FIGURE 12, four propeller shaped plates 196 are disposed intermediate the two end plates and it is immediately evident that the two inside plates designated 106a and 1061) could support extreme ends of cutter bars the second ends of which would be supported in the extreme end plates 104, while the outside propeller plates 106a and 106d would support the remote ends of cutter bars therebetween centrally of the cage so that the end portions thereof would overlap the inside end portions of the blades supported from the extreme end plates of the cage. As is seen in this figure it is also necessary for this particular type of arrangement, that the blade elements of the plates 1660 and 106d be aligned longitudinally of the driven shaft 6% and that the blades of intermediate elements 106a and ltlb also be aligned longitudinally of the shaft but offset radially from the blades of the elements 1060 and 106d.

Control Handles and Cutter Height Adjustment Assembly The rearward portions of the side walls 32 of the carriage housing support the lower ends of two upwardly and rearwardly inclined handlebars 103 which, in turn, support a handgrip bar portion 110 bridging the upper spaced ends thereof. This provides a conventional form of pushing and steering arrangement for a Wheeled vehicle.

In conjunction with the spaced handlebar elements 103 there is provided a height adjustment rod 112, the lower end of which is pivotally attached at 114 to the rearward projected end of bar 42. The upper end of the height adjustment rod, which takes the form of a piece of tubular stock, telescopically receives therein a threaded rod 115 which has screw engagement with a fixed nut block 116 in the lower end of the tube. At a point above the tube the rod has pivotal connection with a horizontal pin 117 which, in turn, is pivotally hinged to one end of a crane bar 118, the second end of which, in turn, has fixed connection on a shaft 120 which is rotatably mounted in bearing plates 122 secured on one of the handle uprights 104. A handle element 124 is secured to the shaft 120 for manual rotation of the shaft about its horizontal axis.

Operation It is evident from the structure shown that operation of the power unit will rotate shafts 6i! and the cutter cage 82 secured thereon. Rotation of the end plates 84 of the cutter cage centrifugally throws cutter bars 10% circumferentially outward to produce a driving force in the star cutter wheels 192 thereon about the entire circumference of the cage. The engagement of the star wheels with the asphalt or cement surface beneath the supporting wheels of the carriage produces a scarifying or planing effect. The particular coarseness of the star wheels 162 will determine the cutting effect of the plane.

Rotation of the control rod 115 in the control tube 112 will raise or lower, with five adjustments, the rear end of bar 42 thereby regulating through front wheel 12 the elevation of the carriage and cutter relative to the wheel supporting surface.

For rapid and extensive raising and lowering of the carriage and cutter, the handle 124 is moved back and forth from its illustrated positions in FIGS. 6 and 2, respectively, causing substantial raising and lowering of the rear end of bar 42 between the positions illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 2, respectively. This ability to substantially elevate the carriage and cutter is of utility in wheeling the unit from place to place, or, for example, when replacing cutter bars in the cutter cage.

It is important to note, as shown in the drawings, that the transversely aligned rear wheels are extended laterally beyond the widest projection of the cage and drive housing, while the single front wheel is longitudinally aligned on the center line of the carriage housing. This wheel arrangement provides for maximum ease of maneuverability and maximum balance and self-leveling character.

Having thus described and explained the invention, what I desire to claim is:

1. In combination with a horizontal shaft rotatably supported in a mobile unit and having operable connection with power means on said unit, a cutter assembly comprising, plates fixed axially on said shaft in longitudinally spaced relationship therealong, wedge sockets on the opposed faces of said plates arranged in spaced relationship about the peripheries thereof, said sockets being formed by brackets having frictionally obstructed channels therein opening generally radially inward of their supporting plates, bar means each having its remote ends frictionally coupled in opposed wedge sockets on said spaced plates, and a plurality of cutter wheels arranged in packed side by side relationship longitudinally of each bar means with the peripheral cutting edges of said wheels projecting radially from said shaft beyond the outermost circumferential edges of said plates.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 wherein each Wedge socket consists of a substantially triangular bracket secured flat against the end plate with the apex portion thereof projecting toward the central region of the end plate, a channel opening inwardly of the apex re gion of the triangular bracket, and a resilient element partially obstructing said channel intermediate the length thereof.

3. A combination as defined in claim 1 wherein each wedge socket consists of a partially restricted channel formed substantially radially of one of said end plates with the open end thereof disposed inwardly away from the circumference of said end plate.

4. In combination with a horizontal shaft rotatably supported in a mobile unit and having operable connection with power means on said unit, a cutter assembly comprising, a pair of circular end plates fixed axially on said shaft in longitudinally spaced relationship, propeller-shaped plates fixed axially on said shaft, intermediate said circular end plates with the blade elements of each offset from the other longitudinally of said shaft, bar means having cutter wheels packed therealong detachably secured between one end plate and one blade of that propeller plate farthest therefrom whereby bar means having end support in the opposed end plates overlap centrally of said shaft length intermediate the end plates.

5. A combination as defined in claim 4 including means for adjusting the elevation of said shaft relative to the mobile unit.

6. In combination with a horizontal shaft rotatably supported in a mobile unit and having operable connection with power means on said unit, a cutter assembly comprising: a pair of plates fixed axially on said shaft in longitudinally spaced relationship therealong, fiat bracket members secured in spaced relationship about the peripheral edges of the opposed faces of said plates, each bracket being provided with a channel formed therein and opening toward the axial center of the plate supporting shaft, each channel provided intermediate its length with a resilient partial obstruction; and bar means having plural cutting wheels packed therealong, the remote ends of said bar means having tang extensions engageable in the channels of opposed brackets on said spaced plates.

7. In a mobile plane including a carriage, spaced ground engaging wheels supporting one end of said carriage, a power driven shaft suported horizontally of said carriage, and a handlebar fixed to and projecting upwardly from the wheel supported end of said carriage, means for raising and lowering the shaft relative to the carriage comprising, a ground engaging wheel forwardly of said carriage and from said supporting wheels, an elongated bar member supporting said ground engaging wheel and projecting rearwardly of said carriage, a supporting pin horizontally traversing said bar intermediate its length and journalled in said carriage, an adjustment rod having one end pivoted to the rearward end of said bar member and the second end having bell crank connection to an upper portion of said handlebar, and means for moving said bell crank between its extreme positions.

8. Structure as defined in claim 7 wherein said adjustment rod consists of a threaded rod having screw engagement with a sleeve member, said sleeve member having operable connection to said bell crank, and means for manually rotating said threaded rod in said sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,084,810 Messer Jan. 20, 1914 1,758,647 Burrell et al May 13, 1930 2,454,650 Harris Nov. 23, 1948 2,664,281 Luksch et al. Dec. 29, 1953 2,673,725 Coates Mar. 30, 1954 2,701,134 Klicpera Feb. 1, 1955 2,858,650 Janowitz Nov. 4, 1958 3,044,223 Bruck July 17, 1962 3,063,690 Cornell Nov. 13, 1962 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A HORIZONTAL SHAFT ROTATABLY SUPPORTED IN A MOBILE UNIT AND HAVING OPERABLE CONNECTION WITH POWER MEANS ON SAID UNIT, A CUTTER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING, PLATES FIXED AXIALLY ON SAID SHAFT IN LONGITUDINALLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP THEREALONG, WEDGE SOCKETS ON THE OPPOSED FACES OF SAID PLATES ARRANGED IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP ABOUT THE PERIPHERIES THEREOF, SAID SOCKETS BEING FORMED BY BRACKETS HAVING FRICTIONALLY OBSTRUCTED CHANNELS THEREIN OPENING GENERALLY RADIALLY INWARD OF THEIR SUPPORTING PLATES, BAR MEANS EACH HAVING ITS REMOTE ENDS FRICTIONALLY COUPLED IN OPPOSED WEDGE SOCKETS ON SAID SPACED PLATES, AND A PLURALITY OF CUTTER WHEELS ARRANGED IN PACKED SIDE BY SIDE RELATIONSHIP LONGITU- 